Creative Blog
Instagram’s popularity is growing at a rapid rate. Now that the Instagram API is on the loose, there are some exciting new ways you can interact with the service.
If you’re not sure what Instagram is, have a look at this post about iPhone camera apps. The Instagram community is expanding fast. There is even talk of it potentially becoming a future successor to the massive photo sharing giant Flickr.
Although still in it’s infancy, there are already some sparks of genius surrounding this fresh photo sharing community. This post explores a variety of these innovative applications and products, which have been produced by various independent third-parties.
1. Inkstagram
Inkstagram is a one of the best functioning Instagram web apps thus far, offering a full suite of features. As well as checking out images from your feed and others you follow, you can explore, like, and comment all through a nicely designed web interface.
2. Stickygram
Stickygram is a new startup which will offer a service to turn your Instagrams into fridge magnets. They will be opening to the public very soon. In the meantime, you can signup to be notified when the service becomes fully active.
3. Gramjunction
Gramjunction is a web app which enables you to browse images connected with Flickr accounts. Although not especially rich in features, the site uses some nice CSS3 presentation techniques and has Facebook ‘like’ integration.
4. Instagreat
Instagreat is another web app with limited features but uses a unique way to view the images and browse through your own feed as well as the latest popular images on the network.
5. Instaprint
Instaprint is one of the most innovative instagram ideas. The company have developed a unique piece of hardware which can be setup as a location based photo booth. It prints out real images based on instagram hashtags.
6. Instagallery iPad App
Instagallery is a new iPad app which allows you to view your Instagram feeds. The app has integrated the core functions such as liking and commenting. Another neat feature is the slideshow option.
7. Instagoodies
Instagoodies offers stickerbooks made from your Instagram images by using the already existing moo.com sticker book service. You can signin with your instagram credentials and they will deal with the organisation and preperation via moo.com.
8. Instagram: Official Real-time Demo
Instagram have created a great example of how to use their recently published real-time API. This is an official website app and really shows-off what is possible with the Instagram API.
9. Flipboard: Instagram Integration
Flipboard, the popular personal digital magazine for the iPad, have recently updated their app to include Instagram images. You can check out your own feeds, people you follow, and the latest popular images.
10. The World’s Smallest Instagram Gallery
Mint Digital have come up with a really neat concept; the world’s smallest Instagram gallery, which is essentially an iPod Nano stuck displaying Instagram images – stuck to a wall!
11. Social Print Studio
Social print studio have gone all-out and created 3 separate Instagram apps. http://instagrid.me – a web gallery for your images, http://instawar.org – for comparing two images, and http://printstagr.am – offering printed posters and stickers of your images.
12. Hatchcraft
Hatchcraft offer Instagram integration with their Boo Box, which is a handmade bamboo shadow box frame to elegantly display your images to the real world. Prices start from $20.00.
13. Snapfinch
Snapfinch now have Instagram integration with good support for discovering images based on their tags. Nicely presented, but the design reminds me of a very familiar website…
14. Bajanbot
Bajanbot is none to elegant, but it simply offers the most popular Instagram hashtags, so if you want to know what’s ‘trending’ this will do the trick. The site is updated every two hours.
15. Instashade
Instashade is a fantastic API implementation. It groups Instagram images by colour and presents them down the page as a spectrum. Really nice.
16. Teenytile
Teenytile is yet another brilliant real-world use of Instagram images. They can create two-inch square ceramic tiles using your images. The tiles are currently $3.99 each.
17. Instatunes
Instatunes is an awesome screensaver for OSX which pulls in Instagram images using the real-time update API. I have just installed this here and it works like a charm.
18. Artflakes Stickers
Artflakes now offer Instagram integration for their ArtStickers, which are high quality removable vinyl stickers in size 10×10 cm (4×4 inches).
19. Instabam
Have a look at instabam.com on your iPhone. It’s a neat web app which finds Instagram images based on your location. The app has is a slider control so you can increase the search distance.
20. Cartagr.am
Cartagr.am cleverly shows popular public Instagram images arranged on a map. The interface allows you to zoom in-and-out using mouse wheel functionality. You can also search for areas and locate where you are currently based.
21. Instamaker
Instamaker is a wep app which enables you to login with your Instagram credentials, then use a nifty drag-and-drop interface to quickly choose some of your images to feature on a t-shirt, coffee mug, or postcard, via integration with zazzle.com.
22. Instaphp
Instaphp is a small framework written in PHP 5.3 for accessing Instagram’s developer API. It’s light and self contained and can be added to any project for quick access to Instagram. This is still very new, but there is already some good documentation.
23. Statigram
This website collects and presents useful metrics from your Instagram account. You can see your most liked and commented photos, what filters you use and how often, stats about your followers and lots more. The site is really nicely designed.
24. Postagram
This service enables you to send nice 300 dpi printed postcards (USA only), using your Instagram pictures, to your friends and family. You simply login with your Instagram credentials and select an image to send. Postagram have also built an iPhone app.
Resources
http://instagram.com/
http://instagram.com/developer/
http://www.meetup.com/instagram/
http://paper.li/tag/instagram
Hi Jamie. Thanks for the shout out. We’re currently doing some limited pre-release runs. Would you be interested in a sneak peek?
Sure thing, sounds great!
You missed mine http://gramfeed.com
Would add one more > http://instasha.de/
Cheers Conrad, that is a very interesting and clever use of the Instagram API!
Thanks for the round-up – a lot of cool and promising services! Has anyone enabled a simple feature to embed a feed of pictures of your website from a particular user or tagged with a specific location?
Thanks again!
That’s an excellent warm-up for the wwide #instameet Day on March 24… Tks!!!
awesome roundup, thanks for compiling!!!
Also check out http://instamaker.com for an easy way to design mosaics from your instagram photos and then print them to T-Shirts, Mugs and Postcards
@Chris, you can get a widget from http://badgeplz.com to embed an Instagram photo stream in your website or blog.
Hey! Thanks for the mention. Glad you like Inkstagram.
I would like to add our ArtSticker: http://www.artflakes.com/en/artsticker we print instagrams as vinyl sticker
I’ve just updated this post with even more cool innovations. Please feel free to leave a comment if you discover any more :)
Hi,
Here is my app, it integrates the Instagram API with the Google Maps API : http://instaramen.com/
(more to come)
Hey, Thanks for the mention. Instaphp has a sister site http://instaview.me which is built with Instaphp.
Instagr.am + cats = http://instac.at (you can add in other searches too)
There’s also http://sonicgr.am which showcases realtime concert instagrams by performer/venue/photographer. See the demo from SXSW.
great article!
We have an iPhone app that has Instagram integration. Pixamid lets users share photos with those they are with, at a particular place. (Like Color, but understandable interface, and more private). We add any Instagrams taken at that place to your collection.
You can also try http://www.instashirt.me to print your instagram photos on a t-shirt, hoodies & sweatshirts, polo shirts…
There you can choose various designs and customize them with text.
Serendipity : http://serendipity.cloudfoundry.com/
it’s cool. finding serendipity media from your media :) go and try !
it’s also works well mobile(iOS, android) and desktop browser(chrome, safari, firefox but not works ie)